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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Julia Davidson, Member of Advocates for Trans Law Students
1:32:17
ยท
118 sec
Julia Davidson, a member of Advocates for Trans Law Students, testifies about the challenges faced by transgender and non-binary individuals in New York City. She emphasizes the increased difficulties and fears in the current political climate, particularly regarding legal processes for name and gender marker changes.
- Davidson highlights the shift in tone of their volunteer events, now focusing on worst-case scenarios due to federal government attacks on trans rights.
- She stresses the multiple hurdles in transitioning, including document changes, accessing care, and finding support, all of which require resources and time.
- Davidson calls for loud support from cis allies and urges the passage of the proposed bills, especially Council Member Hanif's bill, to protect and support the TGNCNB community.
Julia Davidson
1:32:17
Hello, chairperson Lewis and members of the committee.
1:32:20
My name is Julia Davidson.
1:32:21
My pronouns are sheher, and I am a cis woman.
1:32:24
I was a high school teacher for seven years, and now I'm in my second year of law school at Fordham Law.
1:32:29
I live in council member Hanif's district.
1:32:32
Thank you for this hearing and your hard work on these bills.
1:32:35
I am a member of Advocates for Trans Law Students, a group of volunteers who help trans and nonbinary people fill out their name and gender marker change petitions in civil court.
1:32:44
This is the first step in many bureaucratic hurdles.
1:32:48
While we have been doing this for almost three years, since the election, we have helped three fifty people.
1:32:55
We are a small team now hosting multiple events per week.
1:32:58
The tone of these events have shifted.
1:33:00
Once celebratory events where we could help people fill out paperwork, we now spend hours talking about worst case scenarios.
1:33:07
There are so many hurdles to transitioning, whether it is changing identity documents, accessing gender affirming care, accessing affirming therapists, finding support at work or at school.
1:33:18
All of these steps require access to resources, money, and often require taking time off work.
1:33:24
Now with the outright vicious and relentless attacks coming from the federal government and those that support it, trans and non binary people need our open and loud support more than ever.
1:33:34
When I offered to meet people who wanted to testify today, a few trans people told me that they were too nervous to go on public record.
1:33:41
In order for our democracy to work, all people need to feel safe enough to come to a public hearing and share their experience without fear of retribution.
1:33:50
I hope city council passes these bills and resolutions to support our trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming community members, especially council members Hanif's bill.
1:33:59
I hope that cis people across the city will stand up loudly and declare that they will not tolerate this kind of hatred and abuse coming from our government.
1:34:06
And I hope that cis women like myself will stop allowing transphobic rhetoric to spread under the guise of so called protecting women.
1:34:14
Thank you for your time and attention.